Chapter 1467: The Two Great Demon Saints
Yang Haoran's summons forced Tang Shi to abandon his secret intention of competing with the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao. He didn't linger in battle, instead returning to Yang Haoran's side with the utmost speed. He understood perfectly that, compared to Yang Haoran's command, secretly vying with Jing Qi and Jing Miao for achievements was no longer important, even if it meant losing face in the end.
Seeing Tang Shi return, Yang Haoran first whispered a few words to Ma Ling. Ma Ling nodded upon hearing them, then replied, "I understand, rest assured."
With Ma Ling's affirmative reply, Yang Haoran then smiled, looked at Tang Shi beside him, and spoke.
"You must protect her well, ensure no harm comes to her. As for what she's going to do next, just observe; no need to interfere or ask questions. Just remember, your mission is simply to guarantee her safety."
Tang Shi respectfully affirmed, his response decisive and direct, without asking a single extra word. He knew that Yang Haoran would certainly tell him what he needed to know, and for what he shouldn't know, it was best not to ask anything at all. Since Yang Haoran hadn't told him now, it meant he either didn't want him to know this matter or didn't want him to know yet, and with his intelligence, he naturally wouldn't press.
"I'll be relying on you then."
Ma Ling looked at Tang Shi and spoke very politely. She was quite wary of Tang Shi, who was nominally the top leader of Myriad Ghost Grotto but secretly its second-in-command. So, even though Yang Haoran valued her highly, and she knew he valued her, she didn't put on any airs in front of Tang Shi.
"There's no need to be polite with me. Since Master has given the command, I will certainly ensure your safety, even if it means losing my life."
Ma Ling wasn't foolish; she naturally understood the hidden meaning in Tang Shi's words. However, she understood Tang Shi, so she didn't take offense, but instead smiled, expressed her thanks again, and then departed with Tang Shi.
What Yang Haoran instructed Ma Ling to do was known only to Yang Haoran and Ma Ling herself; others would not know. Ma Ling and Tang Shi's departure did not draw much attention in the chaotic scene. Had Ma Ling left alone without Tang Shi escorting her, even fewer people would have noticed.
Yang Haoran had originally intended to have Ye Zhiqiu or Bai Xue protect Ma Ling, leaving Tang Shi here to command the Myriad Ghost Grotto personnel, much like the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao. However, Ye Zhiqiu and Bai Xue were both tied up by powerful sea demons and couldn't break free. As for the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao, Jing Qi needed to command the Iron Blood Demon Hall members, and Jing Miao, with the Heart Demon Flute in hand, was inflicting even more damage on the sea demon side than Tang Shi. Therefore, after some consideration, Yang Haoran decided to send Tang Shi to protect Ma Ling.
Moreover, if he didn't find an expert like Tang Shi to protect Ma Ling, Yang Haoran wouldn't be at ease. As for Tang Shi's Myriad Ghost Grotto, its members were all seasoned veterans; even without Tang Shi's direct command, there wouldn't be significant issues in the short term. Furthermore, with Yang Haoran himself standing guard here, there would be even less chance of problems.
The fierce battle continued for over an hour, and the number of sea demons dying tragically kept increasing, causing their morale to plummet. Some sea demons, seeing the unfavorable situation, even chose to sneak away, believing that their side had no chance of winning this battle. Given this, it was only natural for sea demons who particularly didn't want to lose their lives to choose to secretly flee the area.
Choosing to escape was actually a very risky endeavor, because during the escape, they not only had to face dangers from Half-Moon Island but also guard against their own kind. Desertion on the battlefield was a capital offense everywhere, and the sea demon race was no exception. If an escapee was discovered by other sea demons, they might very well die by their comrades' hands rather than the enemy's.
The risk of fleeing was great, and the sea demons who chose to escape knew this well. However, staying here to continue fighting was, in their eyes, an absolute dead end. No matter how great the risk of escape, it wasn't a hundred percent certain death, meaning there was still a possibility of success. Of course, they had to try.
With the first one leading the way, naturally, more sea demons desired to escape. When no one took the lead, these sea demons hesitated, not daring to be the first bird to stick its head out, fearing they would become the chicken used to warn the monkeys. But once someone did lead, their inner fear and craving for survival were immediately amplified. They had fewer reservations and more courage to live, daring to do what they hadn't dared before.
There were two sea demons who organized this attack on Half-Moon Island. To call them "people" was because they indeed had the ability to transform into human form. But to be precise, they were both demons. The strength of these two demons was utterly terrifying; their realms had both reached the Demon Saint level. Demons of this realm were equivalent to Underworld Office Life Soul realm experts, so one could imagine just how terrifying their power was.
In the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean, the number of Demon Saints was naturally not limited to just two. Not to mention the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean, even in the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, there were more than two Demon Saints. However, the two Demon Saints who organized this sea demon attack on Half-Moon Island were the closest ones to it. The emergence of Half-Moon Island had greatly impacted their respective spheres of influence, affecting immense interests, so they had to eliminate Half-Moon Island.
When Yang Haoran and the others first arrived at Half-Moon Island, the sea demons near Half-Moon Island sensed that something was amiss. However, at that time, the sea demons near Half-Moon Island didn't fully understand its strength. They only knew that Half-Moon Island had suddenly gained many new inhabitants, both ordinary people and cultivators.
The arrival of humans naturally made these sea demons extremely resistant, because the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was their sea race's territory, and the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was a place only powerful sea races were qualified to establish themselves. Even low-strength sea demons coming to the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was absolutely forbidden by them, let alone humans from outside their sea race.
Whether they were low-strength sea demons or humans from outside the sea race, to the sea demons in the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, they were all just food. If they dared to come, they dared to eat them.
Therefore, when the sea demons near Half-Moon Island discovered that Half-Moon Island had suddenly gained many humans, they quickly organized themselves and launched an attack on Half-Moon Island.
Since these sea demons could establish themselves in the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, they naturally possessed some intelligence. The sudden appearance of a massive number of humans on Half-Moon Island must mean this matter was not simple, and there were definitely human experts among them; otherwise, who would dare to act so presumptuously in the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean? Therefore, these sea demons did not act alone but organized a joint attack on Half-Moon Island, aiming to take it down in one fell swoop and turn all the humans on Half-Moon Island into their food.
However, what they never expected was that not only did they fail to make the humans of Half-Moon Island their food, but they instead became food for Half-Moon Island's humans. Apart from a few who successfully escaped, all the sea demons who attacked Half-Moon Island died there. More accurately, they died outside Half-Moon Island, as they lost their lives before successfully landing on the island. Although their corpses eventually made it onto Half-Moon Island, that was only because they were carried up by the people of Half-Moon Island as food, having nothing to do with their attempt to conquer Half-Moon Island.
Because a small number of sea demons successfully escaped the first sneak attack, news about Half-Moon Island consequently spread throughout the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. Word spread from one to ten, then to a hundred, and thus the number of sea demons aware of Half-Moon Island steadily grew. Those sea demons who narrowly preserved their lives feared Half-Moon Island's strength, while those who hadn't witnessed its terrifying power naturally didn't believe the rumors, thinking they were greatly exaggerated.
However, regardless of whether the rumors were true, one thing was certain: the sea demons of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean absolutely would not allow humans to establish themselves there, especially not in the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. Consequently, over the following period, sea demons launched successive attacks on Half-Moon Island. Each wave of attack involved more sea demons, and the individual strength of the sea demons was greater each time.
Yet, none of them ultimately succeeded; all became food for Half-Moon Island. It was precisely because of this that the two great Demon Saints near Half-Moon Island were alerted. Both Demon Saints had originally been in seclusion, but after their subordinates suffered heavy losses and trusted aides risked reporting the situation, the two great Demon Saints emerged from their seclusion and each summoned their confidantes to inquire about Half-Moon Island's situation.
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